I like cucumbers a lot and always add them to salads or to raitas. Sometimes I eat cucumbers as my evening snack. When I saw this spicy cucumber salad, without even a second thought added it to my list of Korean side dishes I was going to make for Korean meal for this month’s “Around the World in 30 Days with ABC Cooking”. I made it spicy and served it as a side dish along with my bibimbap. If one wants to add it to bibimbap, then make it less spicy. I did not have Korean chili powder on hand and used the Indian red chili powder that I use for my everyday cooking. This recipe is so flexible that one can adjust the ingredients as per individuals taste.
Source: Omma’s Kitchen Video
Preparation: 40 minutes (30 minutes is to dehydrate the cucumbers)
Ingredients:
- 3 Mini Seedless Cucumbers or Kirby Cucumber (I used mini cucumbers)
- ½ – ¾ tsp. Salt
- ⅛ tsp. Sugar (I left it out)
- ¾ tsp. Korean Chili Powder (I used about ½ tsp. regular chili powder and check note below)
- ¾ tsp. Sesame Oil
- ¾ tsp. Sesame Seeds toasted
- ¼ tsp. Mirin (I used Brown Rice Vinegar)
- ¼ – ½ tsp. minced Garlic
- 1 – 2 tbsp. chopped Green Onions or Scallions
Preparation:
- Slice the cucumbers, apply salt and keep aside for 20 – 30 minutes. This released water from the cucumber and makes the slices crunchy. To know if the cucumbers are dehydrates, take a slice and bend it. The slice should easily bend. If the slice is still hydrated, it won’t bend easily and will not be flexible.
- Wash the slice in water. If the cucumber is salty, let it soak in water for few minutes and then rinse.
- Squeeze out water from the cucumber slices and put it in a bowl.
- Add rest of the salad ingredients and toss. Refrigerate until ready serve.
- Since this is a spicy cucumber salad, it is best served as a side dish with Korean barbeque and bibimbap. If going to add it to bibimbap, make it a less spicy.
Note:
- I didn’t have Korean Chili Powder on hand and used the chili powder instead. My chili powder is spicy hot and used only ½ tsp. Even that was a bit spicy but I liked it. Adjust chili powder to taste.
- Make the salad less spicy if going to added it to bibimbap
Varada says
I am going to try this salad to add to my collection of cucumber salads. Looks yummy!
Priya says
This cucumber salad sounds prefect for me..
Suma Gandlur says
That must be one flavorful and refreshing salad.
Pavani says
I was looking for Korean chili powder and they didn’t have anything in small packets — they were selling in bulk. Your cucumber salad looks spicy & delicious.
Kalyani says
guess we made a similar dish, with your addition of onions / scallions.. looks good !
Pradnya says
this looks nice and simple…